3.8CI, V6 Engine will not start in cold weather.

I own a fuel injected 94 Buick LeSabre. When the temperature is above 45-50 degrees, the car starts and runs perfectly. However, when the temperature dips below 45ish, the car has difficulaty starting. It sounds like it is starving for fuel. I have replaced the Coolant Temperature Sensor and the Fuel Pressure Regulator and the problem still persists. The problem first occurred right after I replaced the fuel filter. I now believe the problem could be the result of a bad fuel pump. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Try cycling key just to on, 2 or 3 times before you try to start & see if that helps at all.(priming) Are you sure it was the correct fuel filter? Installed correctly?Try cycling key just to on, 2 or 3 times before you try to start & see if that helps at all.(priming) Are you sure it was the correct fuel filter? Installed correctly?

1 Answer

I'm having a similar problem. The mechanic replaced the fuel pump relay and car ran fine for a while. The problem has since reoccurred. What I've read is that this could be caused by loose wiring connections or a bad ECM (computer) which is a notorious problem for this engine. I first thought it was a fuel delivery problem as well but I'm thinking it is more of a wiring issue.

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Related Questions:

Cold start sensor is defective and not enriching the mixture for cold weather start. Its usually in the inlet manifold/water jacket and works the ECU until the air/water temp has reached a pre determined point.

that is the opening temperature for the thermostat
it opens at 160 degrees which is good for hot weather operation or another with 180 degrees which is good for cold weather operations
The differences is 160 opens sooner to start coolant circulation to keep operating temperature low where the 180 keeps shut and allows the operating temperature to rise up as soon as it open the cold air will quickly cool the coolant.

You stated that it was hard to start. Did it crank over more slowly than usual? If so the motor oil may be too thick for below zero temperatures. If it cranked normally, there are a number of things that can cause this.This car has fuel injection controlled by the computer(ECM). If the temperature sensor for the ECM is out of specifications, then the ECM will not fuel the motor properly when cold starting. Old age, lots of miles can lower compression and cause hard starting. the fuel injectors may be worn, defective or clogged, delivering the fuel pooly. Was there a check engine light on? This is before mandated ECM monitoring, but if there is a light on, there is a way to check what it is causing it. There are other things like cracked vacuum hoses that can affect the starting. Worn spark plugs and wires can have an effect. When it chugged coughed and spit, was there black or blue smoke coming out of the tailpipe? Black smoke is too much fuel and blue smoke is oil consumption. I know that it is hard to decide where to go for repair, but the dealer has trained personnel, and a warranty for repairs. In my experiance as a dealership technician and an independant shop owner that some things are better off at the dealer, unless the independant shop has factory trained people and lots of information available, you may be charged with them trying to learn on your car. I had a 1987 LeSabre that when the temp was way low, the coil pack failed to spark the car.

have the ECT checked,Engine coolant temperature,lets the computer know whether it should push more fuel thru for cold mornings ,the sensor could be telling the computer that your engine temp is 75 degrees,means less fuel being pushed